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Diagnosed with terminal brain cancer and confined to state prison on a life sentence, the 59-year-old is asking to be released from state prison on "compassionate" grounds.

Her request for a compassionate release has already been approved by the California Institution for Women in Corona, where she was housed from April 23, 1971, to March 18 of this year, when she was admitted to a local hospital. But it must also be approved by the state parole board, which will take up the case in coming months.

Debra Tate, the only living relative of murder victim Sharon Tate, is opposed to the release. She said, "It is her duty, in order to pay for her crimes, to die in prison."

I find this sickening!! Like a slap in the face to the families of the victims. I hope the wishes of the victims families are honored.

Behind bars, Atkins has been a model prisoner who for the last 21 years has been married to an Orange County attorney who represented her at her last parole hearing. She has been in state prison for 37 years, longer than any other female inmate.

I think her request further victimizes the victims families. She painfully puts them on the spot, with the media wanting responses from the families. And many people do support Atkins "compassionate release".

Atkins is dying... she had one leg.. or part of it amputated. She has been a model prisoner, and has done good while in prison. She says she is a born-again Christian.

My thoughts are that if she has repented, then she is forgiven by her Jesus... and she should be looking forward to being welcomed into the gates of Heaven. But she should not further victimize the folks on earth who show up at every single one of her parole hearings.. to be sure she pays for her crime. "It is her obligation to die in prison" .

WHY on earth would an ATTORNEY marry an inmate that has no chance of life, outside of the prison??

The prosecuting attorney who wrote the book, "Helter Skelter" actually supports her compassionate release.. so she can die at home. It would save taxpayers money.. she has people that will pay her medical bills while she dies.

It seems like a tearjerker, until you listen to the victims families wishes, and they should be honored.

I think her request further victimizes the victims families. She painfully puts them on the spot, with the media wanting responses from the families. And many people do support Atkins "compassionate release".

Atkins is dying... she had one leg.. or part of it amputated. She has been a model prisoner, and has done good while in prison. She says she is a born-again Christian.

My thoughts are that if she has repented, then she is forgiven by her Jesus... and she should be looking forward to being welcomed into the gates of Heaven. But she should not further victimize the folks on earth who show up at every single one of her parole hearings.. to be sure she pays for her crime. "It is her obligation to die in prison" .

I don't blame her for asking. At our basics we are selfish beings. It is in our nature to worry about ourselves first, others later. She wasn't starting with much selflessness to begin with. I can't imagine that 37 years in prison has done a whole lot to change that.

I don't blame her for asking. At our basics we are selfish beings. It is in our nature to worry about ourselves first, others later. She wasn't starting with much selflessness to begin with. I can't imagine that 37 years in prison has done a whole lot to change that.

Has she ever expressed actual knowing remorse for her crimes?

I think I watched a parole hearing on TV, involving members of this group. Yes, she did express remorse. I do believe that she is not even close to being the same person that she was back then. I don't even believe that she would be a threat to society. Especially not now, with only one leg, and with that brain cancer thing.

But still... her release would be a slap in the face to the victims families. She had the death penalty, until all death penalty senteances in that state were overrided by politicians, and now she has life in prison.

I think I watched a parole hearing on TV, involving members of this group. Yes, she did express remorse. I do believe that she is not even close to being the same person that she was back then. I don't even believe that she would be a threat to society. Especially not now, with only one leg, and with that brain cancer thing.

But still... her release would be a slap in the face to the victims families. She had the death penalty, until all death penalty senteances in that state were overrided by politicians, and now she has life in prison.

I read above that Bugliose was in favor of the release. That surprised me. I feel no sympathy for these people, although I'm glad to hear that she may have gained some sanity while there. I would think that if it were Manson that was requesting this there would be no similar sympathy. We generally have a nature tendency to sympathize with female offender and terminal illnesses. It's our way. I can understand the families' thoughts on the matter, though, and I agree with you.

If I remember correctly from reading Helter Skelter, Susan Atkins called Sharon Tate a bitch when the actress begged her for mercy. Susan Atkins later bragged about this to a cellmate, which proved to be her undoing.

I agree that if she truly has repented, she will accept that she has to die behind bars. The prison will likely be merciful and allow her to have her family visit frequently, especially if they have a special hospital facility.

If the USSC hadn't ruled the death penalty illegal, and her sentence was automatically reduced to life (before it was reinstated), she probably would have been dead a long time ago. She should be grateful for the time she had.